Thorn in Your Side
by Evangeline Dixon
Summary: Alternate Universe, Zombie apocalypse, crack fic. Levi x Petra (Rated M for violence, language and sexual tension)
1. Storm

**teaser for new Attack on Titan fic. Hopefully funny, quite cracky. Definitely non offensive (again apologies...please don't hurt me.)**

Wake. Up.  
To the sound of the world caving in, to the sound of your dreams collapsing and dissolving further and further away from the recollection of your startled mind.  
Staring, blackness and you can't even remember what roused you until it comes again.  
Light flashing inside the room, inside your head, loud enough to make you blink twice and yelp like a frightened animal because that's all that you are, a frightened animal.  
As the thunder rolls out its tongue and laughs you are trapped, you are nothing, you are an insignificant in the wake of the thunder. It walks all over you and you cower, you show it your fear when you draw your duvet close and it cackles again.  
The rain scratches at the window and begs to be let in, it's just as afraid as you are but the room is alight again with the electric fire of the sky and you know it's too late for anyone else.  
You are safe, in your house made of bricks and mortar, it may huff and it may puff but it will never blow your house down.  
The rain eases off and a silence grows between your heavy breathing and the rest of the night, everything is calm and slowly you are asleep.  
But thunder isn't done.  
And this time you wake up screaming.  
Wake. Up.

Petra sat bolt upright in her sleeping bag with a yell and pulled her katana from its sheath. The blade reflected her pallid figure, moonlight bouncing off it.  
Another crack of thunder brought a fresh load of rain bouncing off the abandoned house and Petra jumped.  
Sighing she placed her weapon back at the side of her sleeping bag.  
From the small, box like, windows Petra could see the onslaught of rain drops pounding the pane of glass. Slipping from the bag and mountain of blankets she went to stare outside, creeping up on her toes to reach the basement window.  
A flash of bright white light caused Petra to move backwards and shield her eyes. She had been drifting in and out of sleep for hours now all the time watching the slumbering figure on the other side of the room to check if she had awakened him.  
She hoped not, she knew Captain Levi was not a morning person.  
Although she had protested, Levi had suggested the house as shelter for the night.  
"We can make it through the rain Captain!" She had yelled but he simply gave her a raised eyebrow and she knew she had been overruled.  
"It's hard to see them in the dark," He responded, kicking down the door to the abandoned house.  
"We can still hear them though,"  
They would have slept in the bedrooms have not been for the bodies occupying them. The smell of damp and mould from the basement beat the smell of death and rot residing in the upper areas of the house.  
"I'll sleep by the door," Levi informed her as he rolled out his makeshift bed and began to strip down to his underwear.  
"Why?" She asked, concerned that it was her he was avoiding.  
"I'm a lighter sleeper," she averted her eyes and laid her bed out by the tiny window, "If anyone, or anything, comes through the door, I've got it,"  
Petra nodded and sank down into the bed, ready for rest. Then suddenly she sat up.  
"How do _you_ know about my sleeping habits?" She questioned.  
Levi sighed, "I know everything about my recruits Petra,"  
And as long as Levi said it, Petra accepted it as truth.  
Staring out the window now, Petra began to shiver, they were deep in winter now and their starved diet of canned food had made the already skinny girl gaunt with hunger.  
"Are you cold?" Levi asked, rolling over to face her.  
Petra yelled out and clamped a hand over her mouth.  
"Captain! You scared me!"  
"Told you I'm a light sleeper," he stifled a snicker and repeated the question, "are you cold?"  
Petra tried not to admit defeat. Rubbing her arms in an attempt to subdue the goose pimples covering her arms.  
"Yes Captain," She sighed.  
"Right then," Levi sat up, scooting over to create a space in the bed, "We'll share each other's body heat, sleep in one bed,"  
Petra laughed.  
Then she saw the Captains straight face and blushed.  
Heading towards the bag she picked up her weapon and a blanket.  
Slowly, she moved into Levi's space, her freezing feet invading his warmth. The tiny space required her to rest her head on his chest and Levi found the uncomfortable position bearable if he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.  
"You know..." Petra mumbled shyly into his chest, "This is actually supposed to work better if we're both naked."


	2. Confide

It's strange. How some people can stay closed off from the ones who care the most about them.

The constricting feeling of pressure, the burden that you are to people once you have 'opened up' once you have 'trusted', such an ugly, futile words. It's disgusting, watching people break under the weight of your words, not everyone can cope with what you tell and then you blame yourself. So you stay alone because they are your problems and nobody has the right to steal them away from you and make them their own.

All you do when you open up is open yourself up for criticism and prejudice and a dark circle of judgment to envelop you.

So you make do, with them, with the people who say that you're 'morbid, 'emotionless', 'rude.' You smile at them, because the reason you don't confide in people is to protect them from your own madness.

You allow your own horrors to engulf you, slowly eating away at your sanity, your sanctity until you're a shell, until theres nothing to tell anyone anymore.

They want to know your secrets and private life so they can use it one day to destroy you. You're smart enough to know that.

But you're stupid enough not to realize that when a person who actually cares comes along, it's okay to let your guard down. Your walls are walls that have been up for too long and those are the walls hardest to break down.

* * *

"Good morning," Levi noticed Petra wearily rub her eyes and sit up in the make-shift bed.

He was bent over, lacing up one boot, shirtless.

Petra's eyes widened slightly and her lips parted.

"My eyes are up here Petra," Levi pouted, straightening out.

She laughed nervously and turned to look anywhere that wasn't the toned shadows of his stomach. Petra got herself to her feet and went to retrieve her boots.

"What's the plan for today?" Petra asked, tugging on her shoes as well, not bothering to change her shirt or trousers. They'd find a store later.

Levi swiped his jumper from the table, a plain gray one, and pulled it over his head. Petra followed the movements of his arm muscles under the skin as he raised his hands high, shoulder blades moving together like wings.

She saw things on Levi that saddened her, dark cuts on his back and the frozen lakes that traced down his stomach and across his chest; bruises and and misshapen bones that he would never talk about.

Sighing, she refused to look anymore, she had asked once and Levi had told her that the only things she needed to know about his life, started from the second she met him. He told her with a degree of venom and Petra never asked again.

"Walking," Levi replied, handing the sword that she dismissed by the side of the bed, back to her.

They had walked yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. Petra didn't think they had stopped walking since it happened.

Levi and Petra were split up from the rest of the survey corps when sent on a mission. It was that mission, in which two of their friends had been murdered in cold blood, they realized their enemies were not the walking corpses, but people themselves.

When the government fell people went into pandemonium, not long after that the morals went to shit and everything you ever took for granted (No murder, no rape, no stealing) was thrown right back in your face.

With broken maneuver gear and blunt swords that were covered in blood, they had walked for miles.

That very first day they walked for what seemed like months, they walked until the blisters on their feet burst open and bled and until Levi almost collapsed from exhaustion.

That very first night it was Petra who suggested they rest for the evening and Petra who carried her hopeless, enervated, Captain to a safe spot and put him to bed. It was Petra who, on that very first night, waited by the campfire with the sword, listening to the sounds of Levi's restless sleep and trying desperately not to wake him.

She learned that he cried in his sleep, having horrible dreams, not tears of sadness but of vitriolic, pent-up, anger. He thrashed about like a man possessed and cried out into the cold wind of the outside world. At one point he even woke himself up but Petra mumbled an apology and said something about making too much noise, she knew better than to ask.

"Don't we do enough walking?" She posed as she swung a rucksack over one shoulder and headed upwards towards the smell of rot.

"You should be capable of more," He said from behind her, picking up his pace so he was the one in front, "For such a young girl,"

Petra followed him out into the outside air. They both shut up as they checked the surrounding area for any signs of life but everything seemed to be still, just like they liked it.

A smattering a orange leaves, a gold to rival Petra's eyes, lay dead on the road in the crisp Autumn air. Everything had a stillness to it, quiet as the grave, barely any breeze rustled the trees and the clamor of civilian life seemed like a distant memory.

They headed into the woods, less they be stopped by bandits, swinging their backpacks onto their shoulders.

"I'm not that much younger than you Captain!" She picked up their old conversation, freshening it up with the crisp air.

Walking in front, Levi smiled gently to himself.

"You'd be surprised," He informed her, slowing down to a pace where she could walk side by side with him.

Her gentle eyes were filled with a curiosity that was usually reserved for small children and animals.

Levi sped up and let her tag along behind him, his narrowed eyes darting around for danger.

"How old are you?" She giggled, she knew she was pushing her luck but the sun was shining today and sometimes it was the little things that made Captain Levi that it more bearable to be around.

"That's my business Petra," Levi snapped, tying to sound angry at her.

The corners of her rosy lips pricked up. Suddenly she stopped, making a big scene of crunching the multitude of leaves beneath her heavy boots.

"Well," She said defiantly, watching Levi hault but not turn to look at her, "If Captain Levi joined at age twenty two, as told by Erwin, and I joined three years ago..."

She began to count on her fingers, bending each slender digit backwards as she added and deducted, counting off her mathematics to determine Levi's age.

Petra's hand was suddenly grabbed at the wrist and she gasped. Levi was inches from her face, stopping her dead in her tracks.

Levi had two scars under his eye that Petra had never noticed before, even whiter than his alabaster skin. And his nose was slightly off kilter.

Raising an eyebrow, he turned his sharp, analytical eyes from her face, to her hand and back up again.

"I'm younger than thirty five,"

Dropping the stunned girls hand Levi turned, hitching his backpack up, and strode off. Leaving Petra to close the ever increasing gap between them.

As much as Levi didn't want her to close that gap, as much as he kept trying to make that gap as big as possible, too big to close, she always found a way to come racing up behind him. Close enough to touch if she wanted to, but she never did.

"I was going to guess forty," She teased, skipping jovially behind him. All the while praying the sun wouldn't go in.


	3. Thugs

**Sorry for any spelling mistakes, it's late and I'm sleepy. Please enjoy!**

* * *

Your past can follow you. As much as you would like the throw them to the wind, watch them scatter in different directions until they are so complicated they could never be associated with you again, they manage to find you again.

It will catch up with you. Whether it's something you wish you didn't do, or something you wish you hadn't said or a skill you aren't proud of, one day you will have to reveal it.

You reveal it and you pray. You pray that people still want you, that they don't turn their back and walk right the fuck out your life.

Sometimes, that's risk you have to take.

Your past will never, ever, leave you.

They walked for hours, trecking through the golden forest of ash trees. As hard as they tried they couldn't stop their boots from crunching on the sea of crisp leaves.

"Petra," Levi turned to look at her, "Do you think you could try not to walk like an elephant for me?"

Petra nodded, standing completely still as Levi took off walking again so he could realize that it was him making the noise. Levi froze, spinning round on his heel he looked blankly at Petra who grinned in return.

"Ha. Ha." The oozing sarcasm made Petra giggle as she walked beside him.

Petra was a positive person, she liked to see the light even in the darkest of times. It's not that she wasn't serious about the darker moments of her life, it was just that she saw them with a degree of optimism. If she survived the dark times, then she should be pleased and if she didn't? She was dead.

"Where are we going Captain?" Petra asked having to jog slightly to keep up with the speed of her Captain.

"We're going back,"

Petra skidded to a hault, a flutter of leaves flying around her ankles, "What?!"

"I don't want you to question it Petra," He muttered.

"But Levi, it's swamped back there!" She cried, "It's suicide!"

Levi paused, mussing his own hair and stifling a yawn.

"Captain," He corrected her and carried on walking, forgetting his earlier message and traipsing loudly through the undergrowth.

He was of course talking of going back to the ruins of the Shiganshina district. The dilapidated houses and corpses littering the streets, let alone the thousands of walking cadavers feasting on the bodies of their friends.

"Why do you want to go back Sir?" She asked, her voice softening. Petra raised her hand towards his back and then thought better of it and dropped it back to her side.

Levi watched the sun glinting prettily through the trees, it wasn't a bright yellow. It was an orange, afternoon soon, tinged with darkness. The crisp cold air made him pull his cloak tighter too him, they didn't have long.

"Is it to see if they're alive?!" She asked hopefully. Levi had not mentioned the rest of their team since they escaped the fall of the government.

"No," He snapped, "They're dead,"

He let that hang in the air, like the blade of a guillotine over her head and she knew that was the end of that conversation.

They were going back, it was suicide, Petra was risking her life for him and he still wouldn't give her a reason. Petra realized Levi was walking again, he'd put some distance between them and showed no indication of slowing down.

Petra flushed a hot red and ran after him.

"Hey!" She said. She was trying to sound fierce but her voice broke, "Why-"

She began, her tiny hand barely curling around half the mound of his muscle. Levi spun round and pushed his index finger to her lips. Petra's molten eyes widened in shock at Levi touching her plump limps.

"Shh," He hushed her, his hand moving slowly down to rest on her shoulder.

Levi glanced around, knowing there was something wrong. In the distance, something was moving, multiple things were moving. The crunch of leaves were unmistakable.

With a scrape of metal, Levi pulled his weapon from it's sheath. Petra went to do the same but Levi stopped her by gently grabbing her wrist, he guided it back down to her side.

"Let me handle this," He spoke into her ear, his voice low and hushed, "Try and keep your sword hidden,"

Levi caught a glimpse of two people moving between the ash trees, silhouetted against the sinking sun.

"It's okay darling," Levi said loudly, "I love you anyway!"

Petra felt warm spreading inside her chest as she stared up in admiration at her Captain who just declared his love for her. Levi stared down at her and widened his eyes slightly.

"Oh!" Petra threw herself at him, "I love you too sweetheart!"

Levi stepped back and Petra fell foreward, leaves and other flecks of dirt cluttered her mouth. Petra retreated backwards, spitting the dirt out and wiping her tongue with the back of her hand.

It would have been funny, but at that point two men came out of the trees. They were large men, much taller than Levi and even taller than Petra.

One had a large nose and gripped a sharp, hunting knife and the other had small eyes that were sunken into his head, darting around like a lizard on speed.

Big Nose approached Levi brandishing his serrated knife as he advanced on the smaller man. The other one, Squinty Eyes, made his way towards Petra. Her eyes flashed from Levi back to Squinty Eyes and her fingers twitched for her sword.

"Petra," Levi scolded, "We don't want to hurt these people any more than we have to,"

Levi had adopting a fighting stance, he was low to the ground and had his hands balled into relaxed fists and held up by his eyes. Staring down Big Nose, they began to circle, Big Nose tossing his knife from one hand to the other.

All Petra had to do now was keep her distance from Squinty Eyes, she did not want to be any closer to him than she need be.

Suddenly, with a guttural roar, Big Nosed leapt at Levi, the knife aiming straight for his gut.


	4. Speak

Stop. Take a second the find your footing.

Learn. Listen to the sounds around you, know what's new and what was there already.

Realize. When it's right to strike and when you're going to give you opponent a chance.

It takes practice, years and years of practice to develop the sixth sense, the animal instinct of a fighter. It isn't something you want either, it's something you are forced to develop to survive.

It's something that, if you don't have it in the dark of night, when the shadows you see aren't just shadows, then you're fucked.

Bend low to the ground and ready yourself because if you screw this up you don't get another chance. Life doesn't stop for you, it doesn't stop for anybody. In fact it sprints past and tries to run you into the ground and wipe you from the history books.

You don't have to give in to Life, not if you're ready, not if you want to beat it enough.

Be prepared.

* * *

Levi was prepared. Levi was always prepared.

Petra gasped as Big Nose launched himself at Levi, the knife glistening in his fist. She went towards him but Squinty Eyes blocked her path, his hands outstretched to grab her. Petra kept her distance from the man and both of them stared at the fight ensuing.

Levi was agile, he swept out the way of the knife like an abandoned street cat avoiding a child's grabbing hands. Driving his knee up into the man's rib cage, Levi listened to the satisfying crunch. He pulled Big Noses' arm backwards, the knife came with it but, as Levi bent the limb out to the left with a snap, the knife dropped easily to the floor.

Big Nose cried out as he cradled his broken arm and Levi threw his fist down for good measure. Big Nose cried out and lost his balance, falling to the ground. Levi winced, it had been a while since he had used his fists to fight. Squinty Eyes took to opportunity to try and save the day. Levi stood up to greet him, dusting off his shirt, stepping easily over the writhing, contorting body of the fallen man.

As Squinty Eyes ran head long at Levi, he yawned easily. Moving forward, he gripped the man's lapel and threw him down to the ground. Squinty Eyes tripped awkwardly over Big Nose and nose dived the floor. Cracking his knuckles, Levi threw his leg into the man;s face, he kicked twice more and gave a crunching stomp on the man's face.

Turning, he saw Petra staring at him, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide and fearful. Levi spared one more knowing look at the two men on the floor. Big Nose was still whimpering over his broken arm and made no attempt to stop Levi from taking his knife and Squinty Eyes had passed out from the pain; face yellow, bleeding and swollen.

As Levi came towards her, Petra stayed frozen. She wasn't sure that she could have done what Levi had just done, even if it just saved their lives. He extended a hand towards her and inclined his head towards a path through the trees.

"Come on," Levi mumbled and Petra tried not to flinch, "Let's go,"

Petra followed Levi as he took off, gazing backwards at the men her Captain had just took out in a couple swift movements. Petra had only once experienced Levi's wrath once before and she had to keep a hand over her mouth to stop herself crying out. Eren had looked so defenseless and the Captain was so calm, it had been truly terrifying.

"Captain..." She asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Not now Petra, let's just walk a while first,"

Petra muttered to herself, her brow furrowing in annoyance.

So they did, they walked for a while in silence, Petra thinking up every possible way the conversation she was about have, could go and Levi storming ahead, trying to put the experience from his mind.

"Captain!" Petra burst out and Levi stopped, turning towards her.

"Yes Petra?" He knew exactly what was coming.

"Where did you learn...to do...that?" The young girl shifted slightly, she didn't want to make their relationship awkward but she feared the probing questions might fit a wedge between them.

"I didn't want to, but it had to be done," Levi sighed, it was true but he was avoiding the question on purpose.

"That's not what I asked..." She narrowed her eyes, cocking her head to the side.

"Petra," Suddenly Petra was yanked foreward, Levi's hands were on her shoulders, "Do you know what those men would have done to us?"

Petra did not reply. She was too transfixed on the Captain touching her to do anything but stare.

"They would have killed me and...and..." Levi shook his head, wiping the horrendous image from his mind, "I wasn't going to let that happen!"

Levi was breathing quite heavily now. He spun away from her and ran a hand through his cropped hair.

"I understand Captain, I would have done the same," It was true, she definitely would have done the same to save Levi, except she was pretty sure those men would be dead.

"I didn't mean to scare you...if I did,"

"Of course not!" She erupted, moving towards him and then stopping herself, "I've seen you fight before!"

Something in Levi changed, a subtle confusion in his eye. Well, not confusion, concern.

Warily, he approached her. He got down on one knee and Petra's heart leapt, she calmed herself, and realized how patronizing the position was.

"Petra," Levi spoke slowly and carefully, driving something into her head, "People are not Titans,"

Petra stiffened, seeing how jaded she had become.

"Oh God," Petra bit her lip, a couple tears leaking down her face, "I know that, I know that!"

Levi got up and placed a hand on her shoulder, raising a thumb to smear the tear across her face.

"I know it's easy to forget sometimes,"

And with that, they started walking again but Levi allowed her to walk with him, careful he didn't set the pace too fast.

He was good at changing the topic.


	5. Tick

Tick Tock,

My eyes are bleeding,

Bleeding, bleeding, bleeding,

Until there is nothing left,

Empty sockets in a dusty skull,

Tick Tock,

I am a dream,

We are dreaming,

For what feels like forever,

Is crushed in a second,

And I will not stand the test of time,

And Tick Tock,

Tick Tock,

Tick Tock,

I cannot see because I have no eyes,

I cannot move because rusty nails prevent my escape,

I cannot breathe because I am rotten,

And Tick Tock,

Tick Tock,

Tick Tock,

I am still living,

Red fists pounding on a red ceiling,

Red mouth shouting black words,

But no one makes a sound,

Hoarse screams on empty ears,

And Tick Tock,

Tick Tock,

Tick Tock,

I am still here,

Subdued with my silence,

But I am not a dream,

You are all dreaming,

For eons I am alone and blind,

No one comes to visit,

And Tick Tock,

Tick Tock,

Tick Tock.

* * *

"Hold on," Levi lifted his finger to his mouth and beckoned to Petra to come forward and join him.

Together they looked out at the ruins of the walls. Interspersed with the rubble and the dust were what seemed like people, milling around aimlessly. They weren't people though, you could tell by the blood smeared around their mouths and the twitching ways that they jerked their heads. Eyes were sunken and white, like billiards in a pocket. Long, jagged fingernails and the remnants of friends and families.

No, the real people were inside. Lying on the ground with their stomachs open. Devoured.

"There are too many," Petra whispered, sure that the hoard would be too much for her and Levi and their pathetic swords.

Levi nodded beside her, studying the situation.

"I'll distract them," Levi informed her, "You run in and find somewhere to hide, I'll meet you in there,"

A flood of worry swept into Petra and, like most feelings, it caused her cheeks to flush pink.

She watched as Levi stood up, rustling bushes as he pushed his way into the clearing.

"No!" She cried and grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

They paused, making sure that they hadn't alerted any of the un-dead. Levi scowled at Petra and his gaze dropped to her tiny fingers, clawing his arm.

Petra dropped her hand and slammed it to her heart, standing to attention.

"Captain Levi Sir, I put myself forward as a method of distraction. I am smaller and more agile than you, I can run faster and am diligent enough to hide myself quickly, sir!"

Levi rose an eyebrow, listening to the string of insults that were unwillingly coming from her pretty mouth.

Suddenly, Petra sped away. Running at top speed into the clearing.

"Hey!" She yelled, waving her arms.

"Petra!" Levi called, running after her.

Turning backwards, she saw her Captain chasing her.

"Hey! Over here!" She cried, swerving left away from Levi.

One by one the dead things began to amble after her, picking up speed as they sensed warm prey. They were tired of rotting corpses.

Levi approached the entrance to the ruins and briefly paused. If he called out to Petra those things would be drawn back to him, but if he didn't she could die.

Cursing her name under his breath, he sprinted into the ruins, dodging past houses. The walls had collapsed and formed a giant pile, almost like another wall. Levi spotted it and quickly deducing that Petra was running along the other side.

Petra panted, she was running out of energy and had a whole train of corpses coming after her. She looked for an entrance but the rubble was too high for her to jump up. She had no choice but to keep running. Petra narrowed her eyes and kept up her pace.

Ahead, she glanced upwards and saw a figure.

She was rapidly approaching Levi. Levi had climbed up the rubble and was now lying, face down was his arms outstretched.

"Jump Petra!" He yelled sternly at her.

Petra swallowed and glanced behind at the festering jaws snapping at her. If she jumped at the wrong time, she was gone. If she jumped and Levi dropped her, she was gone. If she jumped and missed, she was gone.

Levi held out both hand and Petra leapt forward into the air.

He caught her by her shoulders and grunted as her weight pulled him down slightly. Petra clung onto him, her legs dangling precariously over the hoard of scrambling hands. She gasped as she stared down at them.

"Look at me," Levi ordered and she did, her amber eyes were huge and afraid.

Levi moved backwards, growling as he yanked Petra up, she flailed and kicked her legs against the fingers brushing her boots. Then, her stomach was on solid ground and she pushed into the wall to help Levi yank her up.

He let go when they were both up and safe, panting feverishly.

"That. Was. Stupid." Levi heaved, staring up at the sky and ignoring the hungry growls coming from below.

"It worked though," Petra laughed nervously as she got to her feet.

"You could have died," Levi yelled, fully aware that there were creatures on either side of the rubble. It was too high for them to climb.

Petra looked at him, confused.

"I know," Petra said slowly, "We risk our lives every day, I've got used to it,"

She laughed again and Levi was surprised to hear it was genuine laughter.

"Aren't you afraid Petra?" Levi asked, he was still sitting down.

Petra kicked a pebble off of the precipice. "No,"

There was a beat and then Petra looked down at her Captain, her role model.

"Are you Captain?"

"Not death," He said softly, "After that,"

"Well," Petra sat cross legged in front of him like a child, "I think everyone is afraid of that bit,"

"What if there's nothing?" Levi asked her. It seemed stupid but he had an aching feeling that soon his time would be up and then there would be the bleak nothingness of eternity.

"You wouldn't know I suppose," She said timidly, it was rare that Levi used her as a confidant, let alone with something this big.

"What if...you're still there...but you aren't," He muttered.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly

"What if, you know you're dead but you can't do anything..."

"Like a ghost?" Petra suggested and Levi's head snapped up.

"Don't be stupid," He snapped.

Petra folded her short arms, "What's wrong with ghosts?"

Levi squeezed his eyes shut briefly and ran a hand through his close cropped hair.

"I couldn't stand the thought of being able to see the people I'd left behind..."

Petra knew he was thinking of it reversely. He couldn't stand the thought of ghosts because that meant the people he'd let down could still see him, still hear him, they were still just...there.

The two of them were good at escaping. Neither of them could hear the sounds of eating in the town, or the groans from the things as they attempted to get to their warmth. No, they sat atop the wall as if everything was okay. As if a discussion about death was the worst they would have to go through.

Without looking at Petra, he offered her his open palm and closed his eyes. He didn't know if she was deliberating, or if she just didn't see his hand but after a pause, she took it and he curled his palm around her delicate fingers. They were sitting far apart, arms stretched and hands joined, pandemonium going on around them.


End file.
